Wireless Network Security: resistance to evil

With the increasing demand for wireless Internet access, wireless networks become more and more complex and important. Most network security problems are similar, regardless of the type of wireless network they use, whether they are large companies or small companies. Hackers can use your wireless network coverage area to access your network. Company staff can also use their personal wireless network devices to work in the wireless network.

Every company that uses wireless devices must worry about hackers and security issues. Wireless Networks are prone to vulnerabilities. However, wireless network attacks can be minimized as long as their understanding and strategies are in place.

Dual-sided devil attack edevil twin attack)

Dual-sided demon attacks are wireless phishing frauds. Hackers mimic a hot connection and are cheated to connect to the hot spot to access a malicious server.

For example, in a coffee shop that provides "Wi-Fi", hackers look like ordinary customers, drinking coffee and playing with their laptops. A salesman in your company is also at a coffee shop, where he drinks coffee and uses his laptop to log on to the Internet. The salesperson uses the company's credit card to pay for his network access, and then uses his username and password to connect to the company's network. He accesses the customer's files, and log on to his bank network to check the balance of his bank deposits, and then cancel and leave the coffee shop.

A salesperson connects to a hacker's simulated hotspot "network", so that a malicious hacker can obtain a large amount of information, including the credit card number, customer information, and username and password of the salesperson. Hackers can now use the company's credit card number to access the company's wireless network and access the victim's bank account.

Prevention difficulties

It is very difficult to prevent a successful dual-side demon attack that can cause huge damage, but it is critical. In fact, taking some blocking measures after an incident is like "closing the door after a horse run, according to Rich miw.v, vice president of marketing at AirMagnet, a California-based wireless network security product provider.

The best way to avoid this attack is to have a clear policy on how to use laptops and other devices outside the company. For example, you must require users to use a security-enhanced hotspot network outside the company, such as a T-Mobile's 802.1x authentication and encrypted wireless network.

Intrusion password theft detection software is a required measure to block dual-side demon attacks. For example, AirDefense, a wireless network security company in Alpharetta, Georgia, has a personal and enterprise product that can issue a warning when a user is redirected to an unknown Wireless AP access point. The Personal Edition of this product can be downloaded for free.

Typically, enterprise wireless network intrusion detection systems from vendors such as AirDefense and AirMagnet are usually used together with other wireless network security tools, provides monitoring processing, management, and security policy creation and maintenance services. This may cost tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the network size. For example, AirMagnet starts at $9,000.

The price is appropriate

The benefits of the intrusion detection tool are equal to the price, said Alex Kunz, CTO of Nicholas K, a senior clothing design company in New York. In his resume on the company's wireless network, he implemented the corresponding security policy and installed AirMagnet's Laptop Analyzer and Surveyor tools. These products will issue reports and warn Kunz, make him aware of the possible dangers.

"We are located in the downtown area and there are 80 to 100 external connections every day," Kunz said. "Every one of these connections can be malicious. AirMagnet tools can address unauthenticated users ."

A small amount of prevention = important countermeasures

Good policies and intrusion detection tools can resist unverified wireless network users. Security policies should include basic steps, such as checking access point APs) to prevent them from being broadcast outside, said Michael Gregg, managing director of IT security consultancy Solution Firm. Remove this type of access point AP) is a simple process.

Other problems are dealing with staff who physically process their own wireless network devices. Such people often lead to the collapse of the deployed wireless network technology, lisa Phifer, vice president of Core Competence, a network management consulting firm in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, said.

"Wireless network devices can connect to and run the network within 10 minutes," Phifer said. "Unfortunately, the built-in security measures for wireless network devices, such as encryption, are disabled by default, and many people do not know how to enable it ."

IT administrators must work hard to encrypt the company's data and use the latest encryption standards, such as activating Windows Product ActivationWindows). Phifer recommends. Encryption can slow down malicious hacker attacks and prevent anyone who accidentally enters the company's wireless network access point AP from entering the wireless network.

The best weapon to counter hacker and wireless network security threats is to specify a detailed and executable security policy. With the help of appropriate policies and Wi-Fi security tools, IT managers can defeat those who are looking at the wrong path and provide a secure wireless network.

1. Live wireless network security-Brief Analysis of wireless security implementation policies
2. Some suggestions for protecting wireless security and using wireless LAN
3. Comprehensive Solution to wireless security problems of Enterprises